Food conveyor construction

ABSTRACT

A conveyor having an endless belt for conveying food products such as meat products between meat processing units such as grinders and mixers, which may be cleaned readily with quick dismantling and reassembly of trough sections, pan unit and endless belt, and with complete belt removal, at normally daily intervals as required by government and inspection regulations.

[ Aug. 14, 1973 United States Patent [191 Wenger 3,120,303 2/1964Leonard.............................. 198/204 3,389,780 6/1968 Jerome198/233 X 3,581,878 6/1971 Jacobson 198/204 FOOD CONVEYOR CONSTRUCTION[75] Inventor: Carl D. Wenger, Orrville, Ohio [73] Assignee: The BiroManufacturing Company,

Marblehead, Ott w Ohi Primary Examinerl-larvey C. Hornsby Dec- 1971Agsistqgztfigaminer-James W. Miller Appl. No.: 208,757

[22] Filed:

Attorney-John H. Bishop and Joseph Frease [57] ABSTRACT A conveyorhaving an endless belt for conve products such as meat products betweenmeat ing units such as grinders and mixers, which cleaned readily withquick dismantlin ying food processmay be g and reassembly 603 2 3 ww 4W80 ,6 4 8 0 9 8 9 1 [52] US. [51] Int. 1

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PATENTED AUS 14 I975 SHEET 2 UP 4 PATENTED RUB 1 4 3. 752 2'98 sum u or4 FOOD CONVEYOR CONSTRUCTION BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of theInvention The invention relates to the food industry and particularly toequipment for processing meat products handled in production lines suchas for preparing hamburger and sausage products. In these processingoperations the meat in various stages of preparation is delivered byconveyors from grinders to mixers, or by conveyors between various meatprocessing units. The meat components usually are received at a meatprocessing plant either frozen or refrigerated as chunks or trimmings inboxes or barrels, from the slaughter house where such raw meat productsare produced.

Recent government and inspection regulations have required suchconveyors and all their parts to be thoroughly and completely washed andcleaned to provide sanitary conditions at least once a day, when inoperation, such as every day at the conclusion of use for that day.

2. Description of the Prior Art Prior food or meat products conveyorsoridinarily have had a trough-like assembly within and around which anendless belt is driven by drive means mounted on the assembly. The maintrough and belt support members of the assembly have a pan connectedthereto extending below the lower run of the belt. The assembly ismounted on legs locating the conveyor in an angularly upwardly extendingposition. Normally a short lower leg assembly has been used having twoposts, one located at or connected to either side of the troughassembly; and a long upper leg assembly having two adjustable posts, onelocated at or connected to either side of the trough assembly. The fourleg posts support the conveyor in operative position. The leg postassemblies usually have been provided with wheels or casters for readilymoving the conveyor to various locations for use.

It is necessary to dismantle the trough assembly each time that theconveyor is to be cleaned with steam, hot water or a selected detergentor cleaning solution. The conveyor components usually are formed ofmetal, preferably stainless steel and all must be thoroughly cleaned.Similarly the endless belt which is formed of rubber or plasticcompositions also must be removed and cleaned. It is not possible withprior devices to completely remove an endless belt from a four-leggedsupport structure unless the belt is laced and the lace pin is removed.Heretofore, an endless belt has been relieved of tension, slippedsideways of its mounting rolls, and threaded down in a loop over andaround two legs at one side of the conveyor. Cleaning of such conveyorcomponents looped around legs is difficult, time consuming andexpensive.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Objectives of the invention are to provide afood conveyor supported on legs in a desired position, usually angular,above the floor with a completely removable endless loop belt; toprovide an endless loop belt food conveyor construction in whichtrough-forming components mounted on the belt support platform, a panbeneath the platform, belt rolls at the ends of the platform, and apower driven endless loop belt normally extending above and below theplatform and around the rolls and between the platform and pan all maybe complctely dismantled from the platform while the platform remainsmounted in normal position on its leg means for complete separatecleaning of all components of the conveyor; to provide such aconstruction which may be dismantled in a very short time in a matter ofa few minutes, and after complete cleaning with hot water or steam spraywith a detergent or cleaning solution may be equally rapidlyreassembled; and to provide a new food conveyor construction whicheliminates the difflculties heretofore encountered in the use andcleaning of prior devices, which avoids the prior time consuming andcostly dismantling and cleaning operations, which achieves the indicatedobjectives simply, effectively and inexpensively, and which solvesproblems and satisfies needs existing in the art.

These objectives and advantages are obtained by the construction, thegeneral nature of which may be stated as including, in a food conveyor,a support platform having an inverted channel-shape with a generallyflat top, and downwardly and inwardly, longitudinally extending sideflange means; belt rolls at the ends of the platform, means removablymounting the rolls for adjustable retraction toward each other on theplatform, and slidably mounted block-like bearings journaling the rollson the roll mounting means; pan means extending in spaced relation belowthe platform; troughforming flange means extending upward longitudinallyat either side of the flat platform top; quick-release wing-nut meansremovably mounting the pan means and trough-forming flange means on theplatform; an endless belt looped around the rolls with one run extendingalong and supported by the flat platform top between the trough-formingflange means, and the other run extending between the flat top and pan,below the platform top; power drive means for the belt mounted on theplatform, releasably engaging one of the rolls; and leg support meansfor the platform mounted cantilever-fashion on one platform side flangemeans at spaced locations thereon, the leg support means beingadjustable, and including first and second leg assemblies, and eachassembly having a pair of rollers thereon, whereby the legs and rollersstably support the platform.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS A preferred embodiment of the improvedconveyor construction illustrative of the best mode in which applicanthas contemplated applying the principles is set forth in the followingdescription and shown in the drawings, and is particularly anddistinctly pointed out and set forth in the appended claims.

FIG. 1 is a left side elevation of the improved food conveyor;

FIG. 2 is a rear end view of the conveyor;

FIG. 3 is a right side elevation of the conveyor;

FIG. 4 is a front end view of the conveyor;

FIGS. 5, 6, 7 and 8 are fragmentary enlarged views of a portion of FIG.3 illustrating steps in the reassembly of a dismantled conveyor;

FIGS. 9, 10, 11 and 12 are end views respectively, of the parts shown inFIGS. 5, 6, 7 and 8, looking as indicated by the arrows 9-9, FIG. 5;

FIGS. l3, l4, l5 and 16 are views similar to FIGS. 5-8 of an upperportion of FIG. 3, illustrating steps in the reassembly;

FIGS. l7, 18, 19 and 20 are top end views, respectively, of the partsshown in FIGS. 13-16;

FIG. 21 is a view similar to FIGS. 8 of the completely reassembledconveyor ready for use;

FIG. 22 is an end view of the parts shown in FIG. 21;

FIGS. 23, 24 and 25 are enlarged sectional views taken respectively, onthe lines 23-23, 24-24 and 25-25, FIG. 1',

FIG. 26 is a perspective view of one of the platform braces;

FIGS. 27 and 28 are side views of the upper and lower rolls; and

FIG. 29 is a perspective view of one of the roll bearing blocks.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The improved conveyor generallyindicated at 1 has a support platform 2 which has an invertedchannelshape indicated generally at 3 in FIGS. 5 to 12. Platform 2 has aflat top 4, downturned flanges 5 extending longitudinally of the top 4,and inturned flanges 6 which terminate upturned flanges 7. Thisstructure provides rigidity and stability to the platform 2 whichconstitutes the base or main support member of the conveyor on which allthe other components are mounted.

An upper belt roll 8 is mounted on platform 2 at the upper end of theplatform, and a lower belt roll 9 is mounted on platform 2 at the lowerend of the platform. An endless belt 10 is trained around rolls 8 and 9and the upper run 11 of belt 10 (FIGS. 23-25) is supported on the flattop 4 while the lower run 12 of belt 10 moves below the flat top 4 andis spaced therefrom.

Belt 10 preferably is maintained centered in its movement along platformtop 4 by an endless rib 13 formed on and projecting from the inner faceof the belt 10 which moves along a corresponding groove 14 formed inplatform top 4 and in central annular grooves 15 formed in the rolls 8and 9. Flange members 16 are detachably connected to the side flanges Sof platform 2 by quick release wing-nut and bolt means 17, and a bottompan member 18, which is preferably channelshaped, (FIGS. 19, 23-25)similarly is detachably connected to the platform side flanges 5 byquick-release wing-nut means 17.

Platform 2, side flanges 16, bottom pan 18 and rolls 8 and 9 preferablyare formed of stainless steel or other similar material which can becleaned easily to present sanitary conditions. A pair of guide brackets19 is mounted exteriorly in spaced relation at the lower end of eachdownturned platform side flange 5. A channelshaped strut member 20 isslidably mounted in each pair of guides 19 for adjustable movementlongitudinally of platform 2. One end of each strut 20 is controlled bya toggle clamp 21 which moves strut 20 between retracted and extendingpositions longitudinally of platform 2, a retracted position being shownin FIGS. 5 and 6 and an extended position being shown in FIGS. 7, 8 and21. Adjustment of the location of the extended position for tensioningthe belt 10 is accomplished by the double adjustable nuts 22 which arethreaded on the connecting member 23 of toggle clamp 21, the member 23being retained assembled to strut 20 by a cotter pin 24.

The outer end of each strut 20 is notched at 25 forming a fork-like end(FIG. 5). An car 26 projects from the strut 20 at the inner end of notch25. The side edges 27 of notch 25 provide flanges on which bearingblocks 28 are slidahly mounted in notches 25. The blocks 28 are formedwith longitudinal grooves 29 (FIG. 29) which slidably engage the strutflanged edges 27, and the bearing blocks 28 when in place (FIGS. 6-8,10-12) abut the ears 26.

Each block 28 is preferably formed of Teflon, Nylon or otherlow-friction material on which the lower roll 9 is journaled, roll 9having projecting stub shafts 30 which are journaled within the openings31 formed in the bearing blocks 28.

An upper strut 32 is adjustably mounted at the upper end on one side ofplatform side flange 5 as shown in FIG. 3 and FIGS. 13-20. The positionof upper strut 32 is adjusted by adjustable stop bolt 33 and mountingbolts 34 (FIGS. 15 and 16). The outer end of strut 32 is formed with anotch 35 similar to the notch 25 in strut 20 in which a bearing block 28is mounted journaling stub shaft 36 at one end of upper roll 8. Theother end of roll 8 (FIG. 27) has an elongated spline shaft 37 which isreceived in the hollow output quill drive shaft 38 of drive unit 39mounted by bracket 40 on the upper end of platform 2 (FIGS. 13-20).

The drive unit 39 may be of usual construction and includes an electricmotor and a gear reduction operatively connected with the output quill38.

The platform is supported in angular position by leg assemblies bestshown in FIGS. 1-4. Each leg assembly supports the platform 2cantilever-fashion. The lower leg support assembly generally indicatedat 41 includes a cross member 42 and an adjustable upright member 43.Wheels 44 are journaled at the ends of cross member 42. The upper end ofupright member 43 is fixed at 45 to a bracket 46 mounted on the lowerend of one of the flanges 5 of platform 2.

The upper leg support assembly generally indicated at 47 has anadjustable vertical strut member 48 the upper end of which is pivotallymounted at 49 on the same flange 5 of platform 2 on which the lower legsupport assembly is mounted (see FIGS. 1 and 2). Leg assembly 47 has alower cross member 50 mounted on the lower end of strut 48. A brace 51extends angularly from one end of member 50 to strut 48 (FIG. 2). Anadjustable brace 52 is pivotally connected at 53 to flange 5 of supportplatform 2, and its free end is adjustably bolted at 54 to an upper endportion of strut 48 to maintain strut 48 in the desired angular positionwith respect to platform 2 so as to provide the desired angular positionof the conveyor 1.

Belt 10, as shown, may have cross cleats 55 at spaced intervals on itsouter surface to engage various types and kinds of meat products beingconveyed. This is particularly important when conveying frozen meat inchipped condition since the frozen or icy meat chips may slide along thebelt in the absence of cleats.

OPERATION AND USE The conveyor in fully assembled and operatingcondition is well illustrated in FIGS. 1-4. Drive unit 39 is actuated toprovide conveyor belt movement normally in the direction of the arrow 56in FIG. 1. Although the conveyor is described primarily for handlingvarious types and kinds of meat products, any type of food product canbe handled on the conveyor 1.

At the end of a day or shift, when it is required by regulations thatthe conveyor must be fully cleaned, the quick release wing-nuts 17 arereleased, and side flange members 16 shown in FIGS. 16, 20, 21 and 22are rc moved. Then pan 18 is released for removal by loosening wing-nuts17, as illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 11. Then toggle clamp 21 may be movedfrom extended to the retracted position shown in FIG. 6, whereupon thebelt may be removed laterally from rolls 8 and 9 from the side ofconveyor which is illustrated in FIG. 3, that is the left side of FIG.4.

At this time lower roll 9 and its bearing blocks 28 may be slippeddownwardly from the notches 25 in struts so that the lower end of theplatform 2 is as illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 9. Meanwhile block 28 at oneend of the upper roll and upper strut 32 are removed by looseningmounting bolts 34 as shown in FIGS. 14 and 18 whereupon the upper rollmay be removed endwise to the right of FIG. 18 from its splineconnection with quill 38 so that the upper end of platform 2 is as shownin FIGS. 13 and 17.

The removed conveyor components then may be washed and cleaned with anydesired or required cleaning solution and the platform 2, which is allthat remains on the leg assemblies 41 and 47 may similarly be cleanedwith water and cleaning solution sprays.

FIG. 26 illustrates a cross brace 57, three pairs of which may bemounted within platform 2 at spaced intervals as shown in FIGS. 23, 24,and 25. Brace 57 has notches 58 in its lower edge receiving the upturnedflanges 7 of platform 2. It is preferred that two cross braces 57 bemounted at each of the locations shown in FIGS. 23 to 25, to securelybrace the bracket mounting 46 for the lower leg assembly 41 and thepivotal connections 49 and 53 for the upper leg assembly and itsadjusting brace. The lower edge 59 of brace 57 is spaced above theinturned flanges 6 (FIGS. 23-25) of platform 2 so that the entire innersurface of flanges 6 may be spray cleaned throughout the length of theplatform.

The improved conveyor construction may be used in processing variousfood products and particularly meat products, providing for the deliveryor transfer of meat products between various meat processing units;providing for complete and rapid dismantling of all conveyor componentsincluding a loop belt from the belt support platform; providing formovably mounting the belt support platform on legs with the platformextending angularly upward so that food products may be elevated by thedriven conveyor belt; providing a construction which may have itscomponents completely dismantled and cleaned and then rapidlyreassembled in a short time period so as to reduce the cost and increasethe efficiency of cleaning, while complying with government requirementsregarding the use of food processing equipment; providing a constructionwhich eliminates difficulties heretofore encountered in the use andcleaning of power driven belt food and meat products conveyors;providing a construction which achieves the stated objectives simply,effectively and inexpensively, and whichsolves problems and satisfiesneeds which have existed in the art; and providing, insofar as I amaware, the first food conveyor with a completely removable endless loopbelt known in the art.

In the foregoing description certain terms have been used for brevity,clearness and understanding; but no unnecessary limitations are to beimplied therefrom beyond the requirements of the prior art, because suchterms are used for descriptive purposes and are intended to be broadlyconstrued.

Moreover, the description and illustration of the invention is by way ofexample, and the scope of the invention is not limited to the exactdetails illustrated and described or to a food conveyor construction tobe used solely for handling meat products.

Having now described the features, discoveries and principles of theinvention, a preferred arrangement of the removable components of a foodconveyor, the characteristics of the new construction and its use, andthe advantageous, new and useful results obtained; the new and usefulcombinations, parts, elements, arrangements, relationships andconstructions are set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In food conveyor construction, a support platform having an invertedchannel-shape; the platform having a generally flat top with side edges,and first and second longitudinal side flange means extending downwardlyand inwardly of said side edges; belt rolls at the ends of the platform;means removably mounting the rolls on the platform; adjustable means forretracting at least one of the rolls toward the other; pan meansextending in spaced relation below the platform; first and secondtrough-forming flange means extending upwardly and longitudinally of theplatform at the side edges thereof; quick-release means removablymounting the pan means and trough-forming flange means on the platformside flange means; an endless loop belt looped around the rolls with onerun extending along and supported by the flat platform top between thetroughforming flange means; and with the other run extending below theplatform top between the flat top and pan means; power drive means forthe belt mounted on the platform, releasably engaging one of the rolls;and leg support means mounting the platform in cantileverfashionincluding at least front and rear upwardly extending members, saidmembers being connected to the platform first longitudinal side flangemeans whereby said belt means can be completely removed from theconveyor by laterally moving the belt means beyond the second sideflange means after removal of the second trough-forming flange means andthe pan means and after retracting one of said rolls to release thetension in said belt.

2. The construction defined in claim 1 in which the leg support memberseach have vertical strut means; in which one of the strut means ispivotally adjustably connected to said first plat-form side flangemeans; and in which at least one of the strut means is longitudinallyadjustable in length.

3. The construction defined in claim 2 in which each leg member hasspaced rollers mounted thereon stably to support the platform.

4. The construction defined in claim 2 in which a brace is pivotallyconnected at one end to the platform first side flange means, and isadjustably connected at its other end to pivotally connected verticalstrut means.

5. The construction defined in claim 4 in which cross brace means isconnected within the platform channel to the platform side flange meansadjacent the pivotal strut and brace connections.

6. The construction defined in claim 1 in which the removable mountingof the rolls on the platform includes notch means formed in strutsmovably mounted on certain of the ends of the platform side flangemeans, bearing blocks slidably removably mounted in said notch means,and roll stub shafts removably journaled in said bearing blocks.

7. The construction defined in claim 6 in which the power drive meansincludes a quill, and in which one of the rolls has a releasable splineconnection with said quill.

1. In food conveyor construction, a support platform having an invertedchannel-shape; the platform having a generally flat top with side edges,and first and second longitudinal side flange means extending downwardlyand inwardly of said side edges; belt rolls at the ends of the platform;means removably mounting the rolls on the platform; adjustable means forretracting at least one of the rolls toward the other; pan meansextending in spaced relation below the platform; first and secondtrough-forming flange means extending upwardly and longitudinally of theplatform at the side edges thereof; quick-release means removablymounting the pan means and trough-forming flange means on the platformside flange means; an endless loop belt looped around the rolls with onerun extending along and supported by the flat platform top between thetrough-forming flange means; and with the other run extending below theplatform top between the flat top and pan means; power drive means forthe belt mounted on the platform, releasably engaging one of the rolls;and leg support means mounting the platform in cantilever-fashionincluding at least front and rear upwardly extending members, saidmembers being connected to the platform first longitudinal side flangemeans whereby said belt means can be completely removed from theconveyor by laterally moving the belt means beyond the second sideflange means after removal of the second trough-forming flange means andthe pan means and after retracting one of said rolls to release thetension in said belt.
 2. The construction defined in claim 1 in whichthe leg support members each have vertical strut means; in which one ofthe strut means is pivotally adjustably Connected to said firstplat-form side flange means; and in which at least one of the strutmeans is longitudinally adjustable in length.
 3. The constructiondefined in claim 2 in which each leg member has spaced rollers mountedthereon stably to support the platform.
 4. The construction defined inclaim 2 in which a brace is pivotally connected at one end to theplatform first side flange means, and is adjustably connected at itsother end to pivotally connected vertical strut means.
 5. Theconstruction defined in claim 4 in which cross brace means is connectedwithin the platform channel to the platform side flange means adjacentthe pivotal strut and brace connections.
 6. The construction defined inclaim 1 in which the removable mounting of the rolls on the platformincludes notch means formed in struts movably mounted on certain of theends of the platform side flange means, bearing blocks slidablyremovably mounted in said notch means, and roll stub shafts removablyjournaled in said bearing blocks.
 7. The construction defined in claim 6in which the power drive means includes a quill, and in which one of therolls has a releasable spline connection with said quill.